Pain
by chazza
Summary: Buffy fled after hearing her mum say it was better when she wasn't home but Buffy gets knocked unconsious and tortured, she eventually escapes, this is how she deals. Completed
1. Default Chapter

Buffy fled to her room after hearing her mother talk about how much worse it was now that she was back. All she could think about was that she had to leave, everyone was better off without her. So she chucked her things back in the bag and grabbed her left over money before chucking the bag out the window and climbing back out, there was no point leaving a note.

She climbed down quickly and looked back at her window one last time with tears in her eyes before turning to leave. The punch in the face caught her by surprise and she went down for the count, never even seeing who it was that had brought her to her knees.

When she came to, she could feel her eye was bruised and swelled to a painful result. She opened her good eye and noticed straight away she was chained rather tightly to a wall in a cave somewhere. She also saw her bag lying on the ground not far from her, she pulled at the chain but found that it was actually bound tightly to the roof.

She stopped quickly and feigned unconsciousness when she heard the footsteps enter the cave. She heard the person draw nearer and then she felt it, the unmistakable feeling of a vampire close to her. She tried not to flinch as the hand slid over her face and then heard a voice say "Remember you need to keep her alive, I don't want another slayer being activated any time soon." The voice sounded familiar but she didn't want to risk them knowing she was awake, she would need all the information she could get. Another voice which she knew had to be the vampire said "No problem sir, this is going to be fun." She heard the person walk away and then she risked it and opened up her eyes and saw the back of a man with fair blonde redish hair and wearing a business suit of a big sort of build but she didn't see his face. She suddenly felt a stinging on her legs and she yelped in pain as she saw the now angry line of blood run down her legs. She looked to her right and saw Mr Trick smiling evilly at her. She sighed and said "You do realize that when I get out of here you are so going to be staked." He chuckled and said "Well little Miss, that would be an if not a when." He whipped her back this time cutting her shirt in the process, she tried not to make a noise but the blood running down the back was enough to bring pain to anyone.

Willow walked into Buffy's room 5 minutes after she left and stared around in shock. The state the room was in was a clear testament that Buffy had run; she shook her head sadly and opened the wardrobe which only confirmed her theory. She turned when she heard a gasp and turned to see Joyce standing in the door way with her hand covering her mouth. Willow bit her lip and nodded to Joyce's silent question but it turned to a scream when she saw a very dead body walking behind Joyce.

Joyce, Giles, Cordelia, Willow, Oz and Xander sat in the mess of the aftermath of the Zombies staring at each other in shock. Xander finally said "So we are saying Buffy has run off again?" Willow nodded and said " Looks like, I don't think she will be back this time."

Buffy screamed in pain as a stake was rammed into her leg, her last conscious thought before passing out was _God I am never getting out of here.._


	2. Chapter 2

Willow was walking outside the Summer's house a month later when she noticed something glittering on the ground. She walked over to the bushes and picked up the object to see it was a ring. She turned around and smiled sadly when she recognised that it was the ring Angel had given Buffy.

She didn't know what made her do it but she soon found herself standing where Buffy had killed Angel. She put the ring down and said quietly "goodbye Buffy." She then turned and walked away never noticing the bright flash or the naked body fall to the ground.

Buffy rolled over painfully in her cell not having the energy to even attempt to sit up. Her body was a mass of whip marks, healing puncture wounds, not so healing puncture wounds and bruises. She crawled slowly to the food and slowly pushed it in her mouth and chewed trying not to jar her broken bones too much. She then lifted her arm up and brought the water to her mouth and let it slide down her throat before letting the sleep overcome her body.

_The arms slipt around her stomach and she leant back into his body feeling at peace and safe. She smiled and looked up into his soulful eyes and smiled sadly before saying "I miss you." He smiled and kissed her softly and said " I'm always here." She turned in his arms and put her arms around his neck and whispered "It hurts too much, I don't know if I can last much longer, Angel, I need you." He tightened his grip and said "Won't be much longer and then you will be dead." She then looked up shocked and then saw his face turn a ghastly green and mouldy and he smiled sickly before turning to dust, She screamed……_

ANGEL....

Faith looked at him angrily, he was butting in once again and she was being forced to take him on patrol. She had been in this town 2 months and in those 2 months all she ever heard about was Buffy this and Buffy that. And now she was being forced to take her ex- honey with her, it had been this way for about a month, ever since he had been back.

No one had known what to make of it, suddenly having him appear and after 1 month he was forced onto her and she had to take him on patrol with her. He is a vampire and she was forced to take this vampire out with her and seeing the way every now and then he looks at something and has that wistful look. She felt like pummelling him and telling him that the girl left her friends to rot in this hell hole, she didn't deserve him. But Life goes on.

Buffy watched the blood run down her legs as they lifted her effortlessly into a box, she tried to protest when the lid slammed shut but the effort of moving made her lose consciousness. The vampires moving her licked their lips but were stopped by another hand and a tutting sound was heard. The sound coming from a smiling man who said "Now now I don't want any more slayers being activated now do I? After all that would just be nasty. Don't forget to give her plenty of vitamins, can't have her dying any time soon now can I? By gosh it is a shame that Mr Trick is gone but then not all vampires can be like him." He then handed the vampires some money before leaving them to it, all the while that smile stayed on his face. The vampires moved her onto the back of the truck and they were off and out of Sunnydale without the town or Buffy's friends ever knowing she had been there for over 3 months.

Author note: So interesting? Not? I hope you guys like it! "Next chapter up soon. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy awoke to a painful thud of being dropped to the ground. She heard sounds around her but was only dimly aware of the sounds being that of a fight. She did however hear the sounds of footsteps approaching her and then the light and a person gasping at the site of her.

The next thing she knew she was awaking in a hospital and started panicking as she noticed a person asleep on the chair next to the bed holding her hand. She pulled her hand back and noticed that her arm was in a plaster and then she managed to sit herself up and take notice of her surrounding. She had a drip in her arm and one of her legs was also in a cast and she felt a bandage covering her ripped up back.

The person she noticed had woken up and was staring at her. She gave him half a smile and sighed and relaxed her body as much as she could. The man said " Hi, I'm Rod Grant. I found you in a box, don't suppose you could tell me what you were doing in said box?"

Buffy tried to give her best confused look and said "I actually don't really remember much. It is all a big blur." He looked at her carefully and said "You don't remember how you got all the scars and broken bones, because by the looks of you it has been happening for quite a few months." She shrugged and said " Last thing I remember is going to sleep in my bed and then waking up here." He nodded looking like he believed her and then he said "So where is home?" She thought quick and said "LA. Although if it has been a few months, I suppose I don't have a home now." He tilted his head and said "No family?" She shook her head and said "Nope just me." He nodded and looked thoughtful and said "Well it is settled then, your coming to stay with me." Her eyes widened and she said "But you don't even know my name! Why would you give me a place to stay." He smiled and said "Look.(leaving an opening for a name which Buffy supplied him with) Buffy, Your in pretty bad shape and I have no one that I have to look after and you look like you could use some help. If it helps I used to be a cop, it is in my nature to want to look after people. Think of me as the dad you never had and we can help each other find a family."

Buffy's mind was going haywire, on one hand she was feeling extremely guilty for lying and on the other hand this offer was a gift and she really wanted to take it. She wasn't ready to go back to Sunnydale especially not in her condition, so maybe after they got to know each other she might be able to tell him the truth about home.

Really short sorry, but i will double update to make up for it.


	4. Chapter 4

### 3 months later / aka 6 months since the gang has seen Buffy. Aka 4 months since Angel has been back.

Buffy laughed as Rod tried to coax the kitten down from the tree. He turned and glared at her before trying to get back to the task and then finally he said "You know you can help anytime now." She laughed again and said "And ruin all that fun you seem to be having, pfft." He smiled and shook his head before returning the task, a part of him enjoying seeing her laughing again.

Buffy had returned to high school a month ago, they managed to make it work but she still had no idea how he did it. It was strange; she was finally living a somewhat normal life. She went to school, hung out with her new friends and came home to a dad who asked her about her day and actually listened.

It was weird, the first few weeks living in a house with a complete stranger but eventually she let him on bits of her life. She excluded all about the slayer part of her and told him mostly truths including being kicked out of home that fatal night. He tried to persuade her to at least ring her mother but she had smiled and told him when she was ready she would and in the mean time let her be. He hadn't brought it up again because for a week she had not smiled and seemed unhappy. He tried not to mention her past now, they just talked about now and his past and it was nice.

Her bruising had left after a little over a month ashad her broken bones, only leavingher with a small limp which wouldeventually goandnow all she had as a reminder of those nightmare months was the scars that littered her back and a few that scattered the top of her thighs where the stakes had been plunged in. Every couple of nights she would find herself waking crying out for help and she felt the twinge of pain where her scars were. She knew it would never leave her especially when she had no one she could share what happened with instead keeping it bottled up. And yes she knew it wasn't healthy to bottle up those sorts of emotions but she found difficult to even think about let alone talk about.

The gang were moving on with there lives now that they had graduated. It had been an interesting ceremony and they were all glad that they had faith and Angel to back them up. Willow was on campus with Oz and was in her second month of college, while Xander was working in bar, illegally of course.

Willow was the main person of the gang that was still having trouble dealing with the Buffy not coming back scenario. She often found herself staring out the window with tears in her eyes staring at the stars and talking to Buffy. She hoped she could hear her wherever she was and would come back maybe one day. She needed that closure to know why she left, why she came back in the first place if she was just going to leave again.

Buffy sat at the dinner table discussing her results and what she planned to do. She was amazed that she had done so well, but was even more surprised that Rod wasn't. He had looked smug and said "I knew you would do well." Her eyes had widened classically and she had said "Yeah well if you hadn't convinced me to redo the year I wouldn't have."

Yes Buffy Summers / Grant was finally graduating which also meant the time for going back to Sunnydale was drawing nearer. She had promised a couple of months ago that she would go after graduation. It had been 10 months since she had been home and she would be returning as an 18 year old graduate with outstanding SAT scores.

She had changed a lot since leaving, not just the way she looked but also her attitude. She had taken up Karate and Yoga and found great techniques for fighting that improved her ten fold. Rod was also a great influence on her, he had a way of calming her down when she got upset that made her laugh. Her looks well that was pretty drastic, She hated her blonde long locks because every time someone called her something to do with her hair she had flashed to the vampires taunting her about her love of her hair. So she had died it brown with blonde highlights and had chopped it to her shoulders, it actually gave her a more sophisticated look and she liked it.

So in 2 days she would be in Sunnydale!


	5. Chapter 5

Joyce had just finished putting Dawn's hair in a pony tale when she heard the doorbell. She shrugged thinking it was just Willow doing her weekly checking up. She let Dawn go and answer the door while she put things away. She stopped when she heard a gasp and another voice obviously female sounded confused.

Buffy stared at the girl who looked at her shocked and said "Um right, who are you?" The girl gasped and yelled "MUM". Buffy looked even more shocked when she saw her mum come running. Her mum took one look at her and stood there rigid, Buffy looked behind her at Rod and bit her lip pleading for his support. He came over to her and rested his hand on her shoulder and she took a deep breathe and said "Hey mum".

Joyce shook herself out of her shock and practically threw herself into Buffy's arms crying. While the yet unnamed girl stood back watching and for the life her Buffy didn't know who she was. Joyce pulled her in and said "Um right well sit down and we can talk." Joyce turned to the girl and said "Dawn why don't you go get some glasses of water for your sister." Buffy stopped suddenly and said "Sister. I don't have a sister." Joyce looked at her in shock and said "What are you talking about of course you have a sister." Buffy looked from Dawn to Joyce and said "I think I would remember that." Joyce sighed and said "Um look Buffy, stop kidding and tell me why you left." Buffy decided to let the new sister go and said " Right the hard question. She looked at Rod and then back to her mum and said "Can we not answer that question because I am really not ready for that." Her mothersighed and nodded and then looked at Rod and said "So who might you be?" Buffy smiled a genuine smile and said "This is Rod Grant, he's been like a dad to me the last 7 months." Her mum looked confused and said "7 months, you have been gone 10. unless you count the other three and then you have been gone 13." Rod squeezed her hand and she squeezed it back and said "That is the part I don't want to talk about. I just came to tell you I am alright and that I am going to be in town for a little bit so we can catch up."

Her mum sort of had this look that she knew too well but it was interrupted with Dawn coming in the room. Buffy had this sudden flash of a memory of her and Dawn on a beach and then suddenly she was hit was all the memories at once and she fell to the floor as they bombarded her with image after image. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as everyone in the room rushed to her aide. She got up slowly and smiled at them and said "It's ok, I'm good. Just got hit with a whole bunch of memories, anyhow I think we need to go because I have to go and see the gang. Oh and Dawn we have to catch up when I come back."

She rushed out of the door without looking at the hurt looks on her mother and strange new sister's face. She felt Rod follow and heard him apologise for her before coming to the other side of the car with an expression that she knew meant she was in trouble.

She turned to him and said "I don't want to talk about it." He looked at her carefully before nodding once and starting the car and she directed him in the direction of a hotel. She knew he didn't understand why she didn't want him going with her but she needed to do this by herself and not with an audience that would make the gang edgy.

As soon as she left him at the hotel Buffy went in the general direction of the university dorms where her mum had written on a piece of paper tellingher where Willow would be. In her hand she held the number and house name of Willow's room. She walked slowly and hesitantly towards the room knowing that it would be hard when she got there.

It didn't take long to find the room and now that she stood outside the door she didn't know what to do. It felt strange to know that the only thing separating her and Willow was a piece of wood albeit a hard solid piece of wood.


	6. chapter 6

She sighed and raised her hand and knocked on the door, she heard someone move around and heard two voice before the door was opened by a darkish blonde headed female wearing a robe. The girl smiled warmly at her and said "Can I help you?" Buffy bit her lip and said "Uh I hope so, I am looking for Willow". The girl looked behind her and then back at Buffy and said "Hang on a sec" She then closed the door.

Buffy heard more rustling in the room and the next second a smiling Willow answered the door also in her robe. The minute she saw Buffy her face went from smiling to confusion to shock. Buffy smiled and said "Hey". Willow had that look where she is processing the new information and then suddenly she looked a little angry and Buffy stepped back and said "Um right, your angry, I get that, but can we talk?" Willow felt a hand on her arm and she looked behind her to see Tara nodding at her. Willow however said "You left us again Buffy, how do you expect me to feel?" Buffy looked down sadly and said "your right, but you don't know what happened to m… make me leave."

She quickly covered as she realized that sentence would probably just get her in trouble.

Willow rolled her eyes and said "Yeah well you could have talked to us." Buffy heard the girl behind Willow say something and Willow then stepped aside and motioned Buffy in. Buffy looked around and then at the girls before yielding and walking through the room.

She sat on a chair while they sat on the bed; the blonde girl said "I'm Tara." Buffy said "Buffy." Tara nodded and Willow took her hand and look defiantly at Buffy before saying " Ok Explain why exactly you felt the need to come home for one day and leave again for 10 months with no explanation, no letter, and then didn't contact anyone to tell them you are safe?" Buffy sat in front of them in turmoil, what could she say that could make it all better, I was tortured and you never looked for me, no that wouldn't exactly bring about fluffy feelings.

No instead she said "I killed Angel when he was Angel, he still had his soul, I needed time ok." Tara whispered something to Willow and Willow's eyes flashed and she said "You're lying to me." Buffy said "Fine I was too ashamed to come home." Willow looked at Tara who nodded and Willow said "Why in the world were you embarrassed to not come home for nearly a year?" Buffy shook her head and said "I seriously don't want to get into this with you Willow, You can't handle knowing why. Not yet." Willow looked at her carefully and said "I was your best friend not long ago and you could tell me anything, just tell me." Buffy was getting emotional and said "I can't tell you Willow, I can't even deal with why I didn't come home let alone letting someone else deal with it."

Willow sighed and said "Ok (then in a quieter voice) can I hug you now?" Buffy smiled for the first time since being in the room and everything seemed to go in slow motion as they embraced and starting crying. Tara silently left the room letting them have their privacy. Tara knew something wasn't right with Buffy, her aura was all off, and she knew she had been through something that would have killed anyone else. She sighed and sat outside in the hallway wondering what could possibly have happened to someone so young.

Willow was holding Buffy's hand as they stood in front Xander's door. They had just spent the hour ignoring where she was and catching up on who was where and doing what. It was kind of strange that Willow was gay but she shrugged it off because she seemed happy. Willow gripped her hand tighter as the door opened revealing Xander shouting over his shoulder but turning around looking straight at Willow and not noticing Buffy. He said "Hey Wills (noticing Buffy) who's your friend?" Willow looked at Buffy and at Xander and nearly burst out laughing but instead said "Well she used to be blonde". Xander did a back take and looked at her again before saying "Oh hell no" and slammed the door shut in the shocked girls faces. Willow looked at angry and yelled "Alexander Leville Harris Open this door this minute before I break it open." Silence "1………2………" The door opened revealing a women Buffy hadn't met who said "There is no point yelling he went out the back door to go to Willies." Willow pulled Buffy's hand back to the car yelling behind her shoulder "Thanks Anya". Buffy looked back but was forced into the car.

They found him sitting angrily on a stool drinking a bottle of beer and looking at a dirty television. He didn't turn around or even acknowledge their existence instead he just continued to stare at the screen. Buffy sat on the left of him while Willow sat at the right and both stared at him though Buffy did with a small frown. He finally said "You can tell her to leave Willow, I won't talk to her." Willow looked at Buffy and gave her a small smile before saying " She is still your best friend" He shook his head and took a swill of beer and said "No my best friend died the day she left the second time. Tell her to leave". Buffy said in a quiet voice "Fine I just wanted to let you know I was alive."

She got up and left leaving Willow looking at them both shocked before she too got up but not before slapping him over the head on her way out.


	7. Chapter 7

Buffy smiled at Willow as she donned her pyjamas and said "Thanks for letting me stay; I can't handle the questions at the moment from Rod." She laid on the mattress on the ground and yawned and said "Night Wills". Willow looked down at her and said "Night Buff".

_He grinned over her menacingly and said "I'll make you scream little girl and no one will ever hear you". She looked up into his face and said "My friends will come and you will be dust and then I will be the one grinning." He laughed and ran a long fingernail down her back leaving a long red trail but she didn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream, she only winced. He then took some of her blood on his finger and put it in his mouth making her screw up her face in disgust. He smiled and picked up the whip on the ground and said "Let's see how much you bleed." She felt the pain and whispered "stop" He didn't though instead he whipped again and again until she couldn't hold back a scream…."_

Buffy awoke to her own voice and a very worried looking Willow.

Half an hour before

Willow lay staring at the ceiling just watching, The first sound she heard was Buffy make a small whimper. She sat up and saw that Buffy had become twisted in the sheets and was curled in a ball. She heard Buffy say something and strained her ears "Friends will come", Willow tilted her head wondering what that meant. Willow lay back down when after 10 minutes nothing else happened. But she jumped a bit when she heard the whispered word "stop". She was starting to get more than a little worried about whatever it was that Buffy was dreaming, She bolted out of the bed as Buffy screamed and promptly woke up and looked at her with a wild look in her eyes.

Buffy and Willow stared for a couple of seconds before Buffy turned back around and laid down. Buffy jumped right back up again when she heard Willow gasped and she realized that the sheet around her had fallen revealing some of her scared back.

Buffy pulled her shirt of her pyjamas down more and bit her lip and said "Don't suppose you could forget what you just saw?" Willow shook her head and moved to sit on the ground next to Buffy and went to put her hand on her shirt to see more but stopped when she saw Buffy's scared eyes and a hand stopping her. Willow said in a soft voice "I won't hurt you Buffy". Buffy let her hand fall and Willow slowly lifted Buffy's shirt revealing her back covered in lines of scars. Willow took a deep breathe and said in a small voice "Do you have any other scars like this". Buffy bit her lip again and nodded her head slowly and Willow held her breathe and said "Show me".

Buffy lifted her pyjamas shorts a little and Willow saw the round scars on her thighs. Willow looked at Buffy with a pained expression before quite suddenly bursting into tears and wrapping her arms around Buffy's neck.

Buffy wrapped her arms around her not really knowing what to say or what she must be thinking. She had a feeling Willow pretty much knew some of what must have happened in order for her to scar the way she had and not healed with her slayer healing.

She unwrapped herself and said "Just forget what you've seen ok, Willow, you are better off not knowing." Buffy looked up and found her self face to face with resolve Willow and sighed. Willow said "Buffy Anne Summers, you are going to tell me now what happened because, well just because." Buffy sighed and said "fine, but this is the short version only. I was going to go but when I jumped out of the tree vampires grabbed me and then tortured me for 3 months before Rod found me and saved me, happy." Willow was totally in tears and Buffy tried not to let hers fall as she said " Look Willow, forget it, it happened 7 months ago, ok. There is nothing you could have done to help me. You would have been killed." Willow shook her head and said "I could have, how can you just say forget it, this happened to you, and we all were so angry at you for leaving that we didn't even attempt to look for you, oh god we abandoned you when you needed us the most. Xander is going to want to die, and god Giles." Buffy suddenly looked extremely panicked and said "No way, you can not tell anyone, This secret is going to die with you and me, no one will ever know." Willow's eyes widened and she said "But if we told them they wouldn't be angry anymore." Buffy shook her head and said firmly "No. No one!" Willow pouted but then sighed and said "Do you mind if I sleep beside you then?" Buffy smiled for the first time and said "K".


	8. Chapter 8

Buffy had been in town for a month now, Rod had set up in a nice place before he had to go back home for a few weeks but with the promise to return again soon. She was on a getting to know the gang again routine and a family getting together. It was kind of unreal how easily she was fitting back into place. The weirdest thing of the lot was finding out that Angel was alive and in LA. Giles was due back in a week with Faith who had been to some sort of training regime in England. Buffy was more than a little worried about this but she was going to stick around and not run away after all she was a slayer even if every night since she had been back she would wake up ether screaming or crying.

She sensed him before she saw him and a part of her rejoiced but the part that had been in the presence of only vampires for three months was urging to kill it before it hurt her. These conflicting motions made her hesitate as he stepped in front her with a very small smile on his face. He said in a quiet voice "Buffy", she took a step back and said "Angel". He looked at her with a hurt expression but if he got any closer her emotions might take over and make her do something she just may regret. He looked at her carefully and said "Are you alright?" Buffy hugged herself and said "Why do you care?" He looked even more hurt if possible and said in a soft voice "Because I love you." Buffy looked down and said so softly that only a vampire hearing could hear her "Then why didn't you look for me?"

His eyes widened and he said "what? I did look for you, every minute of every day I was looking for you. Whenever I thought I found you it wasn't you. Why do you think I was in LA.? I even found your friend Anne. I would never just forget you Buffy, I thought you knew that." The tear that escaped her eyes couldn't be stopped as she smiled slightly and she said "I thought you gave up on me." He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her and she let herself give in to the comfort his arms brought even as a part of still felt the need to want to recoil. She let the sobs overtake her as he tried to soothe the pain that had built up over a period of time.

In what seemed like hours she finally pulled back and said "How are you back?" He kissed her forehead and said "I don't know, I just am". She nodded and accepted the nothing of an explanation, it didn't really matter, and just that he was back.

She leant her head on the chest and said "It is so hard, Angel". He stroked her hair and said "What?" She whispered "Living." Angel face if she could have seen it was the picture of shock but he kept stroking her hair and tried to keep his voice from sounding panicked and said "Why?" She closed her eyes and said "every time I close my eyes I see them."

Angel fell silent for a few minutes before noticing that in that time Buffy had fallen asleep in his arms. He looked around them briefly at the cemetery before scooping her up and walking back to her house in deep thought.

When Buffy woke there was no doubt that there was a vampire in the room, she stayed still, very still keeping her eyes closed. She very carefully rolled to the direction of a weapon and felt around before her hand closed onto the stake. She opened her eyes carefully and saw the window right in front of her covered in a blanket. She took a deep breath and slid out of the bed and was about to go to the window when she heard a cough and she spun around to see Angel sitting in a chair staring at her.

She let the stake drop and looked a little embarrassed and said "Uh hey". He looked confused and said "what are you doing?" She looked down and said "Nothing, just forgot you were here." He nodded and watched as she grabbed some clothes and left the room, her behaviour very confusing and strangely reminding him of something he couldn't put his foot on.

Author note: Ok my dilemma I can actually easily turn this into a spuffy fic in the next chapter but I don't know. Do we want spuffiness or B/A cause I can go ether way. So the choice on your heads.


	9. Chapter 9

She was staring out the window of her bedroom when she felt someone enter. She didn't register much until said person put their arm around her. She smiled gratefully and said "You never cease to amaze me, Will". Willow smiled and said "I saw you sitting up here and thought you could use the company, you look like you are having bad thoughts." Buffy leaned her head on her shoulder and said "I don't know what to do", "About what?" Willow said cautiously. Buffy sighed and said "Angel, he doesn't understand and don't give me that look." Willow tried to hide it but then said "I can't help it Buffy. You say he doesn't understand but he could as could everyone else if you told them. We had it tough when you left, even when Faith came it was hard. I think she had the hardest following in your footsteps, but we learnt and we dealt. If you only told them then they would accept you being back." Buffy gave her an incredulous look and said "Understand, how could they understand and if they did, they wouldn't accept they would pity me as you are now, and don't deny it, I can see it in your eyes. How can they accept me when I can't, answer me that."

Willow picked Buffy's hand up and said "Because they love you. We love you." Buffy shook her head and said "No no you don't because if you did you wouldn't have just given up on me." Willow bit her lip as she saw tears coming from Buffy but she gripped Buffy's hand and said "We are young. It was hard ok, it is hard. I don't think I can even grasp the extent the damage that was done to you let alone understand it but that wasn't what I was trying to tell you. If you tell then they will understand the REASON you weren't here not what happened. They may pity you but Buffy what do you expect, you were tortured." Buffy pulled her hand back from Willow with fire in her eyes and stood up and said "Yes, I was, me Willow not you, not them which makes it my decision whether I tell anyone not yours, so leave me alone."

With that said Buffy left the room leaving Willow staring sadly after her.

No sooner had she got outside that she felt him following her, once she was a safe distance from the house she stopped.

She turned around and said "Would you quit following already, you are making me jumpy." He stepped out of the shadows with a soft frown and said "I just wanted to make sure you were ok". Buffy sighed and said "Well I am not ok, alright; I won't be until you go back to LA. I can't handle your presence every night. A part of me wants to run in your arms and stay there but there is a bigger part that is curled up inside my guts that is itching to come out and play. And I don't think you are ready to see that, so do us both a favor and leave." If it was possible Angel looked even more hurt than before and said in a quiet voice "you've changed Buffy." Buffy looked down and said very softly "Yeah I have" but when she looked up he was gone and she sighed.

The problem with Angel aside from the fact that he was a vampire was he was built a little too much like the vampires that tortured her. His presence was a little too much to take especially when her gut told her the people who had her were still out there somewhere.

Author note: I know I know it isn't B/A and it isn't going to be Spuffy. I felt that some of you had a good case, after being tortured by vampires; she isn't going to want to be with a Vampire. So you will just have to read to see where I am heading with this.


	10. Chapter 10

Buffy sat in front of Giles looking down at her heels and trying not to think about anything but her watcher in front of her. He had this strange look on him, something between anger and happiness. She had no idea how he managed to pull it off but he did it and it made her feel like a small girl again. She heard him sigh and she was almost certain that he had taken his glasses off again. He said "Buffy, I know you don't want to hear it but I think someone has to say it." Buffy bit her lip and looked up and around the room at the rest of the occupants who apart from Willow were looking on with interest, Willow however was staring at her bluntly trying to tell her to tell.

Instead she looked up at him and waited for him to continue and continue he did. He put his glasses back on and said " I believe the others would agree with that we need to know why you left and came back and then left again." Buffy bit her lip and said "Stuff happened and I had to go." Giles frowned and took a deep breath and said softly "you disappointed me greatly". Buffy felt her eyes water but she stopped and stood up and turned to all of them and said "Do you all feel that way?" Xander, Anya and Giles nodded their heads and Buffy looked up at the ceiling and let out a breath of air and said "Fine you want to know I will tell you. Angelus turned into Angel at the last second but I had to kill him anyway and mum told me to leave so I left. When I came back and saw you all I had trouble dealing so I left again. Every time I thought about coming back I couldn't ok, so does that satisfy you now?" Willow was making tutting sound at her and everyone else was staring at her.

She sighed again and said "Ok so can we ignore this awkward silence and tell me about what has been happening to you guys." Anya suddenly started talking "Well Xander here has been going out with me and we have great sex together, Giles he hasn't been having sex at all although I am sure Faith might, Faith though she has been having loads of sex." Xander finally put his hand over her mouth and said "Right that is enough isn't it. How about we let everyone tell what they have been doing shall we". Faith let out a laugh from where she was previously silent in the corner leaning against the kitchen bench. Buffy glared at her and she rolled her eyes before looking at her nails again obviously bored.

Buffy turned to Giles again and said "Look um never mind, I am just going to go home and you can think about stuff k". She ran out of the room before anyone could stop her.

She got about half a block before someone's hand stopped and she turned around and found her self face to face with Faith. She frowned and said "What do you want?" Faith rolled her eyes and said "Thought you could use the company, looked like you needed it." Buffy looked at her suspiciously and said "You feelingok there Faith?" She smirked and said "Five by Five, felt the need to patrol figured to you would have some energy to burn".

Buffy nodded and said "Yeah I could do with that." Faith nodded too and said "Come on then B, those vamps will never know what hit them." Buffy laughed finally feeling a little bit free for once and followed Faith to the cemetery.

Author note: No it isn't going to be B/F and it is definitely not going to be B/G and can I say ewwww. You will just have to read to know where I am going.


	11. Chapter 11

Faith stood back and watched Buffy plunge the stake in the vampires chest. She found it strange the movements were almost new to her like she wasn't used to staking vampires. Faith tilted her head as she watched Buffy attempt a flip only just pulling it off.

She bit her lip as she watch Buffy give her a strange smile before staking the last vampire. Faith went up to her and said "Man B, if I didn't know better I would say you were knew to this." Buffy's eyes widened and Faith knew she was right but Buffy said "No just rusty you know."

Faith nodded watching Buffy out of the side of eyes before saying "Right well I think I'm done for the night, I'll go see the watcher while you toddle off home." She watched Buffy give her a look but then walk off in the direction of home before sprinting off towards the watcher's house.

Faith made it in record time and burst into the house much to the surprise of everyone in the room. They all looked up and she burst out "Buffy is evil". Xander's eyes widened and he said "Come again?" Faith took a deep breath and said "Buffy, she isn't who you think she is." Giles took his glasses off and took a deep breath and said "Faith I know you are feeling undermined but really." Faith rolled her eyes and said "No really think about it, she left but she came back but to only leave again and when she comes back she acts strange and doesn't open up to you or even tell you where she has been, she gives you some cock and bull story about Angel but then sends him off."

Willow steps forward and said "I know why she didn't come back and don't give me that look it is private." Faith raised an eyebrow and said "So tell us red, how you found out?" Willow blushed and said "She was dreaming and I saw some stuff and she had to tell me." Faith nodded and said "See, no you don't see do you, when we were patrolling she had trouble staking a vamp and doing a flip, even after 10 months she should be able to do that, instinct you know."

Giles sighed and said "Faith none this really tells me she is evil, I think your imagination is running away with you." Faith shook her head and said "fine don't believe me, but when it happens I reserve the right to say I told you so."

She walked out of the room and out into the night knowing she was right.

Meanwhile Buffy watched the proceeding and melted into the shadows when Faith stormed out. She shook her head and looked back into the window happy no one believed Faith.

Faith walked back into her hotel and slumped on the bed. There had to be a way to prove that she was right. Everything in her being told her that that thing was not Buffy no matter what she had done in the last 11 months, no matter how she acted, how she sounded. The one person who would know would probably be that man that she had been with for 7 months. Faith sat there with her head in her arms trying to remember the last name of that Rod guy. Rod G, something starting with G, Grant it had to be Rod Grant. She grabbed her phone book and rifled in it for the last name, after finding 3 Grant R, she wrote the numbers down.

It took her minutes to get to the phone booth and work out the right number. The problem being no one picked up, she sighed and deciding one last try she grabbed the phone book in front of. She starting phoning the hotels in Sunnydale asking each one if they had a Grant listed in them. When she did find out she nearly jumped with Joy, but being who she was she resorted to smiling and slamming the phone down. She ran up the stairs grabbed her jacket, checked the time, 10pm, good thing they didn't do the late patrol thing, before heading to the hotel.

It took a mere ten minutes for the slayer to reach her destination and she reached the room seconds later. She banged on the door for a few minutes before getting impatient and knocking it down with her strength. What greeted her made her want to run or scream the injustice of it all. The other Slayer adoptive dad laid on the bed strung before her, skin torn, face gone and what looked like had happened maybe a month ago if the smell was anything to go by.

Faith stood on the balcony taking deep breaths before grabbing the emergency mobile which she had yet to use for that very reason and dialed Giles number. He answered rather quickly and she told him what happened and with the promise of coming she waited.

Author note: I promise that you will understand my line of thought next chapter, i know i am evil.


	12. Chapter 12

Giles, Xander and Faith were all sitting around whispering when Buffy entered the room. He looked at her carefully and then smiled and said "How was your night Buffy." She narrowed her eyes and said "Good, you?" Giles nodded and said "Actually we were just wondering if we could put together a party for you and Rod?" Buffy looked out the window and said "Right um, Rod, sure, he's actually was looking forward to meeting you, He's actually in town, I'll go and send him in, I have to go see mom about something so yeah."

She rushed out of the room leaving everyone looking at each other shocked. To their surprise 10 minutes later there was a knock on the door and when Faith went to answer it all she could do was stare at the man she saw dead. She carefully let him inside while trying not to be too obvious about staring at him bluntly instead choosing to go into the giles' spare room to grab a weapon. She grabbed the sword and walked into the room and put the sword to his neck and said "Ok what are you?"

His eyes widened and said "Rod Grant". Giles grimaced and said "Sir you are mistaken because Rod grant was brutally murdered a couple of weeks ago and his body was found last night." Rod looked panicked and said "I don't know what you are talking about as I am right in front of you."

Faith smirked and said "Well see I was always a stab and then ask kind of girl so lets see if you bleed." With that said she slammed the knife into his leg watching as blood seeped out, her eyes widened and she said "Giles is he supposed to bleed?"

Giles suddenly looked like he had an idea and ignoring the cries of the man he grabbed a book and flipped the pages and let out an ahhh. They turned and looked at him with Faith holding Rod's neck. He kept reading ignoring his companions, Faith cleared her throat and he looked up surprised. He cleared his own throat and said "Right well I do believe we have a shape shifter on out hands."

Faith smiled and said "Right so not human". She pulled her sword out of his leg and put it back to his neck and said "well does it die like a normal human." Giles said "The shape shifter intermittingly takes the shape of the person which also takes all their weaknesses." Faith rolled her eyes and said "That would be a yes, so you ready to die demon".

The shape shifter looked nervous and said quickly as the sword starting piercing his skin " If you kill me you won't find Buffy." Faith pulled the sword back and lifted him off the ground and said "What have you done with Buffy?" He smiled in a pained way and said "Well it wasn't me but did you wonder why I couldn't come back until now?" Faith shrugged and said "I don't particularly care; I mean I could always kill you and then find B". He let out a pained sound and said "but you won't not unless I tell you and you aren't giving me any reason." Faith said "How about the fact that I am going to put my fist through your face." Giles put his hand on hers and said "There are other ways to find Buffy with him. Like a truth spell". She let him down and dragged him to a chair and tied him up glaring at him while Giles went and rang Willow telling her to bring the ingredients for a truth spell.

Willow arrived ten minutes later looking shocked at seeing a struggling Faith tied to a chair and a standing Faith in front of her. Willow looked at Giles for a explanation and he said "Shape shifter." Faith turned and smiled and said "Yeah decided to look like me about 2 minutes ago, guess it thought it could escape my wicked tying by becoming the slayer." Tied up Faith suddenly turned into Buffy who looked at Willow desperately and said "Willow it is me Buffy, please they are going crazy, let me go, you believe, you know what I have been through". Willow suddenly looked disgusted and said "The shape shifter was Buffy but then where is Buffy?" Giles sighed and said "That is what the truth spell is for." Willow nodded and said "but that makes no sense why exactly did it act the way it did and why after so long?" Giles nodded and said "We believe that when it assumed Buffy shape it also assumed her injuries and had to heal and the best way was with this Rod person but he became useless after it came here. It acted the way it has to gain our trust for what reason only it knows." Willow nodded and started setting up for the spell, she ignored everything the shifter said and tried not to take it to heart when it turned into Xander.

The spell was complete now all was left wasto askthe questions.

Author note : I know but i couldn't help myself, it just came to me. Hope you like it, i am putting the next chapter along with this because it is really short.


	13. Chapter 13

Willow said in a quiet voice "Did you hurt Buffy?" The Buffy look a like smiled and said "No why would I do that?" Willow sighed with relief but Giles made a tutting noise and said "Has Buffy been hurt?" She smiled again and said "Of course she has she is the slayer." Giles sighed and said "Where is Buffy?" The Buffy look a like cringed and tried to stop talking but it came out "In a hospital". Giles frowned and said "Which hospital?" She replied "LA Sacred Hart". Giles nodded and Willow said "Under what name?" She looked downhearted and said "Annie Oakley, this is really unfair you know that right?" Giles tutted again and said "Why is Buffy in the hospital?" "Because she was tortured to the point of a coma and was of no use if she was dead." Giles nodded and said "Why have you assumed this identity?" "For fun and hell it was a treat stumbling onto her in that nest of vampires, the opportunity was too much to pass up; it was a shame about the injuries though." Faith had heard enough; before anyone could stop her she slammed the sword into his, her heart and watched as the shape shifter changed into everything that it had touched before becoming the original form with eerie silvery eyes.

Giles whirled around to her in anger and she put her hands up and said "We got all the information we need and I didn't want to know more." Giles held his tongue for a minute before saying "And what about finding out about these vampires, Really Faith think before you act." She shrugged and said "We going to go see Buffy or not, see how badly hurt she is, you know tell her mother, her sister, her other friends."

Author note: Short i know, the next chapter is a lot longer, i'll post soon, so hope you like it.

Love your reviews, you guys rock!


	14. Chapter 14

They stood over her body staring at the mess that she was in. She had been in the hospital for 6 months which left them to deduct she had been tortured for 5 months and judging by what she looked like it wasn't hard to see. She had numerous still healing broken bones, the slight tinges of bruises stillriddled her body even after 6 months, scars riddled her arms, legs and back although some were starting to fade. She looked like a lifeless very scary looking doll, so skinny with her straw like and pain riddled face.

When Joyce had seen her she had collapsed in a heap, Willow had held back a scream and settled with bursting into tears, Dawn was pushed out of the room before she saw and Giles stood there in shock right alongside Xander. Faith and Tara who had come to help Willow had stayed out with Dawn feeling like they were intruding since they hadn't ever really met Buffy.

They had been told that there was only a small chance of Buffy waking up, only about a 5 chance to be exact. They were told that physically she could wake up but they believed she had retreated so far into herself that it was mentally near impossible for her to come out of it. This made Willow perk up because she had read about a spell that would allow someone to enter another persons mind. She didn't tell Giles for the fact that he seemed to disapprove of her interest in magic. Instead she politely left the room and grabbed Tara's hand a dragged her an appropriate distance and started telling her the idea in a hushed tone. Tara looked a little worried but she bit her lip and said softly "I suppose we can try." Willow squealed and hugged her tight saying thank you over and over again.

They waited until dark, going with everyone back to the hotel and keeping their secret well secret. They returned when it was night and less likely to be interrupted and Willow sat herself on a chair across from Buffy and started the inner necessary steps to start the spell.

_Buffy looked around her and once again was chained to the wall, blood was dripping all around her. Her body felt like she was on fire but still she yelled "They will come, They will". The masked vampire in front of her laughed manically and said "Right and I'm a vampire with a soul". He then displayed the knife and came up close and said "Lets play with your guts again shall we? See how fast you heal again."_

The Scene changed

_Buffy was laying in the jail cell trying to reach the food. She looked up and said in sad voice "I will die without food." The vampire kicked the food which landed on the ground, she sighed and went for it._

The scene changed

_Tears were running down her face while they poked the spikes through her body. She said softly "Just kill me". The figure laughed but stayed silent instead pushing another spike through her calf. She said again softly "Kill me!"._

The scene changed

_Buffy hung motionless on the wall while they feeded off her blood and pumped blood into her. She didn't move, didn't say a word, just stared blankly at them, not caring._

The scene changed

_Buffy looked around her and once again was chained to the wall, blood was dripping all around her. Her body felt like she was on fire but still she yelled "They will come, They will". The masked vampire in front of her laughed manically and said "Right and I'm a vampire with a soul". He then displayed the knife and came up close and said "Lets play with your guts again shall we? See how fast you heal again." She looked up and notice Willow standing staring shocked at the scene in front of her. Another form of her appeared next to her and said " Terrible isn't it"_

Willow jumped and stared at the Buffy next to her, looking very much like the Buffy she knew and loved. She said "Buffy this isn't real, it isn't happening anymore." Buffy laughed a dry hollow laugh and said "Right nothappening, what world do you live in? what you see is happening, it is always happening no matter where I physically am". Willow gave her a look and she continued as the scene changed. "Yes I know I am in the hospital, it doesn't matter, he killed me".

Willow shook her head and said "No your alive, this happened in the past, Buffy, the past, please we love you and need you."

Buffy sighed and looked pointingly at the scene in front of them, the one with her not moving and said "You need her, I don't think so, we are one and the same. The buffy you knew is just a shell now." Willow shook her head and grabbed hold of Buffy making her look at her and said " You are Buffy not some tortured person who can't get through, Your Buffy, the one we all love and trust and forgive. You can get through this and live, your not a shell."

She laughed again and the person in the scene turned to Willow and said

"_I need to be killed not to live, I need to get what I deserve."_

Willow's eyes widened and she said "You need to what now." She turned to other Buffy and said " You deserve to have people who love you for who you are not what you are, you deserve to grow old and have a billion kids who adore you, you deserve to never have to face a vampire again in your life. You deserve the world Buffy, but I can only offer you a bunch of loving people who are waiting for you to wake up. So Buffy please wake up and live. Please." Buffy stared at her with tears in her eyes and said "I don't deserve to live". Willow said "But you do, you're the slayer, a patron for the good, you have done so many good things in your life, in your very short life that you deserve so much more. You saved the lives of countless people that even we don't know the number, and just by doing so you have saved other people through those people, and you don't ask for anything you just do it so if that doesn't make you deserve a great life who does."

Both Buffy were now freely crying but then normal Buffy stopped and said "But everyone hates me Will why would they want me to live?"

Willow rolled her eyes through the tears and said "You are so dense, We love you no matter what you did, we don't care that you ran away. If you can't live for them, live for me, please. The hardest thing in this world is to live, so live for me."

As soon as she said this she found herself flung back into her body and she heard the sounds of someone groaning.

Author note: Yes I stole some lines from the show but that was bloody obvious, so don't sue me. So I know drama filled, did you like it, or was it a bad twist. Any way the end is near. AWWW. If you have never reviewed before or you have and i love you for it please review again because this chapter was really hard to write and i love the criticism or the praise so please review. Begging is so beneath me but i will ! :-).


	15. Chapter 15

Buffy opened her eyes to see a blaringly bright light in front of her. She blinked a few times and waited for the adjustment before looking around and noticing Willow sitting on a chair staring at her with tears in her eyes. She said in a tired voice "Hey" Willow smiled and said "Hey." Buffy closed her eyes for a second before taking a small breath and saying "So how did you find me?" Willow looked down and said "Shape shifter", Buffy nodded and said "Silvery eyes, creepy looking." Willow smiled nervously and said "eventually". Buffy nodded and then winced and said "Don't suppose I can get some pain killers or lots of morphine." Willow looked embarrassed suddenly and jumped up and said "Oh right the doctor, be back in a sec, don't go anywhere." Buffy looked around as she exited and said "Like I can".

There was a lot of hustle over the next ten hours, with tests and talks and making Buffy extremely tired. When she was eventually back in the bed it was nine in the morning and being told that she had visitors. She could only nod and fall back against the pillow enjoying the feeling of morphine going through her.

The first person to come in was her mom and her sister. It was strange but a part of her knew that Dawn wasn't her sister even though she had all these memories of her. She smiled and tried to hide the pain when Dawn enveloped her in a hug. She said in a tired voice "Missed you too Dawnie." Dawn smiled and said "Don't ever go away again." Buffy smiled and looked up at her mom and bit her lip and said "Hey mom". Her mom's eyes were glistening with tears as she opened her arms and hugged her daughter and said "I love you Buffy". Buffy hugged her mother tightly despite the pain it brought her mild bruises and said "Love you too mom." Her mother brushed her hair off her face and said "Everything is going to be alright now."

Buffy smiled and they chatted for a few minutes mostly with her mom and Dawn talking while she listened. Then they went out and Willow and Xander came in the room. She was enveloped in a hug by both of them and Xander was apologizing constantly which surprised her a lot. She ended up cutting him off and telling him to quit it, that he was forgiven. It was strange how being in coma for six months and constantly seeing her demons made her feel so much more grown up and the petty things like fighting with her friends seemed so trivial now. Even the fact that they didn't look for her seemed small, she knew deep down the reasons why and although yes she was a little hurt well a lot hurt she understood. They had left the room smiling and chatting happily and Buffy felt a little better knowing she wasn't causing someone else pain now.

The next person to enter was Giles, and she couldn't look him in the eyes. Of all the people in the world that she knew she couldn't face him feeling pity for her. She didn't want to see it in his eyes.

Giles watched her as she looked down at her lap and didn't look at him at all. His heart was awash with sympathy for what his charge had been through. He went to her bed and sat down beside her and took her hand in his and said "You have nothing to be ashamed of, it wasn't your fault." Buffy closed her eyes for a second before bringing her head up to see his face streaming with tears. The knowledge that he knew what it felt like to be in the position she was in screamed at her. She squeezed his hand and said softly "If I had just talked to you, none of this would have happened." She looked back down only to have him left her chin up with his hand and say "You couldn't have known something like this would have happened. It is those demons fault and I promise you we will find them and kill them together, when your better." Buffy managed a smiled and said quietly "Yeah…" He took his hand away and stood up and said "Feel better soon, and Buffy (She looked up to see him smile softly at her) I'm glad your back". He then turned around and a girl Buffy had never seen walked in. Buffy looked at her curiously and wiped her eyes and said "Don't mean to sound rude but who the hell are you?"

The girl smirked and said "Right Shape shifter, Hey B, I'm Faith, the second slayer, you know chosen two and all that, thought I ought to meet you for real now." Buffy looked a bit taken a back but shook the hand Faith offered her before saying "Uh hi, do you mind telling my mom I'm going to sleep when you go". Faith bit her lip before going to door and then changing her mind and turning around and said "I know this is going to sound weird coming from me since you don't know me but I'm sorry for what happened to you." With that she walked out and Buffy relaxed into the pillow trying not to over analyze everything that just happened.

Author note: I hope you all had a great christmas and like my update, thanks to everyone who reviewed.


	16. Conclusion

Two years Later:

Buffy turned back around and said "I can't do it Giles". Giles sighed and put his hands on her shoulders and said "You're the slayer Buffy, it has been two years, you can do it."

Buffy grimaced and said " I still have nightmares, You don't understand, they were normal vampires, nothing special, just normal.." Giles butted in and said "Yes I know, you have told me many times, three vampires acting under the orders of the mayor, two are already dusted Buffy, the one that is in that room now is just another simple vampire."

Buffy's eyes widened and she said "He isn't simple, He was the main one and I can't do it." Giles took her hand in his much like he had in the hospital and said "Feel this; this is me right here beside you, he can't hurt you when he is alone and you are free. The only reason they got you is they worked together and you were vulnerable. Now you have me and Faith to back you up, he can't hurt you and you need to show him this."

Buffy took a deep breath and looked over at Faith and gave her a smile which she returned quickly. She nodded and said "Ok but only me and Faith go in because I don't want to worry about you (Giles looked about to protest) No, Giles, we are the slayers, I need you out here in case something happens." He frowned but consented and Buffy walked over to Faith and grabbed her hand. In the last two years they had formed a bond that was hard to break. They talked, they shouted, the fought and they cried, but through it they remained close even if sometimes Faith decided to test the friendship.

They walked into the room together and Faith couldn't help but say out loud "Damn B, that little dude tortured you for months." Buffy glared at her but deep down was glad she was able to joke at a time like this; it relaxed some of the tension seeded in Buffy's body.

The vampire in question spun around and what Buffy found menacing in the past suddenly seemed stupid as he looked terrified. Upon seeing Buffy however he suddenly grinned and said stupidly "You coming back for more Slayer." Faith rolled her eyes not noticing Buffy standing rigid and not moving and said "You're an idiot, you have two slayers standing in front of you and there is only one of you, do the math." He instead grinned again and said "Well actually I would say one slayer because your second isn't really a slayer, after all she is more like a water fountain, how is those holes doing, or the scars, bet they haven't healed right. Yeah my buddies had a hard time believing I had tortured a slayer, thought I should have killed you but it was fun anyway."

Buffy was starting to see red and before Faith could stop her she jumped the guy and starting pounding into his body. Faith heard her screaming but couldn't make out the words, she stood back not quite sure what she should be doing.

Buffy starting to scream as she hit him over and over again, she kept saying I hate you again and again until her voice became hoarse. Blood was all over her hands and the vampire was beyond unconscious. Her whole body was wracked with tears as she fought to keep herself from disappearing. When she eventually fell she felt Faith pick her up and cradle her in her arms.

Faith scooped up the bloody mess Buffy was before she fell to the floor. She called for Giles who rushed in and gapped at the sight before him for about a minute before registering and grabbing a nearby stake and putting it into the bloody mess of a being on the floor. Once satisfied it was dust he motioned for Faith to follow him and put Buffy in his car.

Faith sat beside Buffy in the car with her laying half in her lap. She opened her eyes and said tiredly "Can I sleep now?." Faith smiled and said softly "Yes it's over….Sleep."

The End

Author note: I know I am mean and yes I left it sort of hanging but not really because Buffy has forgiven the gang in the last chapter because she realized how trival that sort of thing was and now she has killed those responsible because the mayor is already dead what with the whole ascension thing so everything is all wrapped up. I hope you like it because I really wanted to finish it and I actually like the end and I am going to shut up now. Thanks to everyone who reviewed you all rock!


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